Dutch Queen arrives amid controversy
JAKARTA (JP): Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands is scheduled to arrive here today for an 11-day visit set to be marked by controversy in her country over whether the Dutch nation should apologize for its colonial rule over Indonesia and recognize 1945 as the birth of the Indonesian state.
Beatrix and her husband, Prince Claus, will touch down at Halim Perdanakusuma airport this morning where she will be met by Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas and Jakarta Governor Soerjadi Sudirdja.
She will then be taken to Merdeka Palace where she will be greeted by President Soeharto and accorded a 21-gun salute.
Beatrix's arrival will be the first visit by a Dutch Queen since her mother, Queen Juliana, came here in 1971.
Beatrix was crowned as Queen in 1980 at the age of 42.
Her visit was initially planned to coincide with the Aug. 17 independence celebrations. However, it was postponed after strong protests by Dutch veterans who fought here after World War II in an attempt to restore colonial rule.
Indonesia was a Dutch colony for nearly 350 years, proclaiming independence in 1945.
Despite the proclamation, the Dutch government at the time attempted to re-establish its rule and it was not until 1948 that the Netherlands recognized Indonesian sovereignty.
Apart from visiting the Kalibata Heroes' Cemetery, later today Beatrix will lay a wreath at the Menteng Pulo Cemetery, where many Dutch soldiers are buried.
Tomorrow she will tour the Indonesia in Miniature Park and attend the Indonesian Products Exhibition, both in Jakarta.
In the evening she is scheduled to meet with members of the Dutch community here in Jakarta at a reception at the residence of Dutch Ambassador Paul E. Brouwer on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta.
It is hoped that her visit will further enhance relations between Indonesia and the Netherlands, particularly in the business sector. Relations turned sour in 1992 after Indonesia expelled Dutch aid providers because of perceived interference in Jakarta's domestic affairs.
The queen is being accompanied by a delegation of more than 20 Dutch businessmen.
On Wednesday Beatrix will leave Jakarta and travel to Surabaya, East Java.
She will then continue to Yogyakarta, where she will visit the famous Borobudur and Prambanan temples, as well as several villages in the area.
Before leaving Indonesia on Aug. 31, Beatrix will also visit Manado, North Sulawesi; Balikpapan, East Kalimantan; and Padang, West Sumatra. (mds)